Patents Examined by Cynthia Szewczyk
  • Patent number: 11643355
    Abstract: Embodiments of thermally and chemically strengthened glass-based articles are disclosed. In one or more embodiments, the glass-based articles may include a first surface and a second surface opposing the first surface defining a thickness (t), a first CS region comprising a concentration of a metal oxide that is both non-zero and varies along a portion of the thickness, and a second CS region being substantially free of the metal oxide of the first CS region, the second CS region extending from the first surface to a depth of compression of about 0.17•t or greater. In one or more embodiments, the first surface is flat to 100 ?m total indicator run-out (TIR) along any 50 mm or less profile of the first surface. Methods of strengthening glass sheets are also disclosed, along with consumer electronic products, laminates and vehicles including the same are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2023
    Assignee: Corning Incorporated
    Inventors: John Philip Finkeldey, Linda Gaskill, Timothy Michael Gross, Peter Joseph Lezzi, Richard Orr Maschmeyer, Charlene Marie Smith, John Christopher Thomas, Kevin Lee Wasson
  • Patent number: 11639306
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a curved glass thermal forming device and method. The curved glass thermal forming device includes a furnace body having a feed port and a discharge port, wherein the furnace body includes a heating segment, a forming segment and a cooling segment, a rotary table capable of rotating and used for circularly conveying glass to the heating segment, the forming segment and the cooling segment in sequence is arranged in the furnace body, a plurality of female dies for carrying glass are arranged on the rotary table so as to cooperate with a male die in the forming segment to perform press fit forming on the glass.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2023
    Assignees: TUNGHSU TECHNOLOGY GROUP CO., LTD., TUNGHSU GROUP CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Qing Li, Qingwen Li, Xianyou Jin, Zhaoting Li
  • Patent number: 11630076
    Abstract: A method of forming a glass electrochemical sensor is described. In some embodiments, the method may include forming a plurality of electrical through glass vias (TGVs) in an electrode substrate; filling each of the plurality of electrical TGVs with an electrode material; forming a plurality of contact TGVs in the electrode substrate; filling each of the plurality of contact TGVs with a conductive material; patterning the conductive material to connect the electrical TGVs with the contact TGVs; forming a cavity in a first glass layer; and bonding a first side of the first glass layer to the electrode substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2023
    Assignee: Corning Incorporated
    Inventors: Robert Alan Bellman, Jeffrey Stapleton King, Scott Christopher Pollard
  • Patent number: 11629087
    Abstract: A method of forming a glass sheet comprises: (a) forming a ribbon of glass from molten glass with a pair of forming rollers; (b) reducing horizontal temperature variability of the ribbon of glass to be 10° C. or less across 80 percent of an entire width of the ribbon of glass before the ribbon of glass cools to a glass transition temperature; (c) controlling a cooling rate of the ribbon of glass while the ribbon of glass moves vertically downward within a setting zone such that the ribbon of glass has a first average cooling rate before the ribbon of glass cools to the glass transition temperature and a second average cooling rate after the ribbon of glass cools to the glass transition temperature, the first average cooling rate being less than the second average cooling rate; and (d) separating a glass sheet from the ribbon of glass.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2023
    Assignee: Corning Incorporated
    Inventors: Douglas Dale Bressler, David Alan Deneka, Michael Charles Gerrish, Douglas Hull Jennings, Miki Eugene Kunitake, William Edward Lock, Shyam Prasad Mudiraj, Neil Eugene Partridge, Jeremy Nathan Payne, Eugene Roland Proulx, II, Ryan Christopher Sutton, Steven Howard Tarcza
  • Patent number: 11613494
    Abstract: Provided is a system for and a method of processing an optical fiber, such as tapering an optical fiber. The method includes receiving fiber parameters defining characteristics of an optical fiber, modeling an idealized fiber based on the fiber parameters to establish modeled data, and establishing processing parameters. A processing operation is performed on the optical fiber according to the processing parameters to produce a resultant fiber. Aspects of the resultant fiber are measured to establish measured data. The measured data and the modeled data are normalized to a common axis and a difference between the two is determined. The processing parameters are adjusted based on the differences.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2023
    Assignee: 3SAE TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Robert G. Wiley, John Lower, Brett Clark
  • Patent number: 11615179
    Abstract: An e-vapor apparatus may include a pod assembly and a dispensing body configured to receive the pod assembly. A vaporizer may be disposed in the pod assembly and/or the dispensing body. The pod assembly may include a pre-vapor formulation compartment, a device compartment, and a vapor channel extending from the device compartment and traversing the pre-vapor formulation compartment. The pod assembly is a smart pod configured to receive, store, and transmit information that can be communicated with the dispensing body and/or another electronic device. The proximal portion of the dispensing body includes a vapor passage and a through-hole. The vapor passage may extend from an end surface of the proximal portion to a side wall of the through-hole. The through-hole is configured to receive the pod assembly such that the vapor channel of the pod assembly is aligned with the vapor passage of the dispensing body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2023
    Assignee: Altria Client Services LLC
    Inventors: Raymond Lau, Eric Hawes, Alistair Bramley
  • Patent number: 11612185
    Abstract: Disclosed is an article for use with apparatus for heating smokable material to volatilize at least one component of the smokable material. The article includes a foam. The foam includes smokable material, such as tobacco. Also disclosed is a system, comprising an article and apparatus. The article includes a foam including smokable material. The apparatus is for heating the smokable material to volatilize at least one component of the smokable material. The apparatus includes a heating zone for receiving at least a portion of the article.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2023
    Assignee: Nicoventures Trading Limited
    Inventor: Gary Nicholson
  • Patent number: 11606978
    Abstract: A vaporiser insert for an electronic cigarette product comprises at least one electrical vaporiser for vaporising fluid supplied to the vaporiser and for supplying the vaporised fluid to an airflow, a main part having a lateral face which surrounds an airflow duct through which the airflow can flow, at least one fluid opening for supplying vaporisable fluid from the outside into the vaporiser insert and to the vaporiser being arranged on the lateral face of the main part. The vaporiser insert comprises a support for retaining the vaporiser, and the support comprises a passage opening that corresponds to the fluid opening in order to supply fluid to the vaporiser.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2023
    Assignee: KÖRBER TECHNOLOGIES GMBH
    Inventors: Lasse Cornils, Niklas Romming, Jan Jaklin, Gunnar Niebuhr, Tim Ullner, Thomas Mueller
  • Patent number: 11608676
    Abstract: An outer wall material includes a first transparent member integrally or separately including a transparent plate material and a prism portion; and a reflection member provided on a second side of the prism portion of the first transparent member. The prism portion causes the reflection member to collect light whose angle with respect to a normal line of the plate material is equal to or greater than a predetermined angle and to retro-reflect the collected light, and transmits light whose angle with respect to the normal line of the plate material is less than the predetermined angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2023
    Assignee: YAZAKI ENERGY SYSTEM CORPORATION
    Inventor: Takuju Nakamura
  • Patent number: 11577983
    Abstract: A method of forming an optical fiber preform includes the steps: igniting a burner having a fume tube assembly to produce a first spray size of silicon dioxide particles; depositing the silicon dioxide particles on a core cane to produce a soot blank; and adjusting an effective diameter of an aperture of the fume tube assembly to produce a second spray size of the silicon dioxide particles. The second spray size is larger than the first spray size.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: Corning Incorporated
    Inventors: James Henry Faler, Dale Robert Powers, Fei Xia, Chunfeng Zhou
  • Patent number: 11580277
    Abstract: Computer-implemented methods and apparatus are provided for predicting/estimating (i) a non-equilibrium viscosity for at least one given time point in a given temperature profile for a given glass composition, (ii) at least one temperature profile that will provide a given non-equilibrium viscosity for a given glass composition, or (iii) at least one glass composition that will provide a given non-equilibrium viscosity for a given time point in a given temperature profile. The methods and apparatus can be used to predict/estimate stress relaxation in a glass article during forming as well as compaction, stress relaxation, and/or thermal sag or thermal creep of a glass article when the article is subjected to one or more post-forming thermal treatments.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: Corning Incorporated
    Inventors: Douglas Clippinger Allan, Adam James Ellison, Xiaoju Guo, Timothy James Kiczenski, John Christopher Mauro, Marcel Potuzak
  • Patent number: 11571024
    Abstract: An electronic smoking device (10) includes a power supply portion (12) comprising a power supply (18) as well as an atomizer/liquid reservoir portion (14) comprising a refillable liquid reservoir (34) adapted for storing a liquid, and an atomizer (26) operable when connected to the power supply (18) to atomize liquid stored in the liquid reservoir (34). The atomizer/liquid reservoir portion (14) comprises a liquid filling channel (40) and an air outlet channel (42) at least partially separate from the liquid filling channel (40). The liquid filling channel (40) communicates with the liquid reservoir (34) and is configured to let pass liquid received from outside the electronic smoking device (10) into the liquid reservoir (34). The air outlet channel (42) communicates with the liquid reservoir (34) and is configured to let pass air out of the liquid reservoir (34).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2023
    Assignee: Fontem Ventures B.V.
    Inventors: Stefan Biel, Andreas Beer
  • Patent number: 11564410
    Abstract: Apparatus for rolling pieces of a wrappable and smokable or edible material, such as tobacco, herbs, or cannabis, or foodstuffs, within a wrapper such as a sheet of a paper or seaweed, respectively for smoking or eating. The apparatus comprises a tube (which can comprise integrated outer and inner tubes for ease of manufacture) with a rotatable base, an openable or removable top cap, and a hollow tubular interior. The tube has a longitudinal side opening for receiving the wrapper into said interior of the tube. In operation, the base is rotated and the wrapper is inserted and directed toward said interior where the wrapper wraps around said interior. The wrappable material is thereafter inserted into said tubular interior. Turning the base of the tube causes the wrapper to wrap said material within it. When complete, the wrapped material is removed from the top or bottom of the tube.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2023
    Inventors: Francois Charles Martin, Nemesio Zapata
  • Patent number: 11548806
    Abstract: A glass body manufacturing apparatus includes: a first heating furnace including a furnace core tube accommodating the soot and a first heater, to supply a dehydration gas into the furnace core tube and heat the soot at a first treatment temperature lower than a softening point of the porous portion by the first heater; a second heating furnace including a structural body accommodating the soot and a second heater, to heat the soot at a second treatment temperature equal to or higher than the softening point by the second heater; and a conveyance container, connectable to each of the first and second heating furnaces while keeping airtightness with respect to the atmosphere, to accommodate and hold the soot, and convey the soot between the first and second heating furnaces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2023
    Assignee: FURUKAWA ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Koichi Toyosaki, Hiroshi Miyake, Tsuneo Suzuki
  • Patent number: 11548812
    Abstract: A method for producing a coated and printed glass panel, includes providing a glass substrate having a metal-containing coating on at least one first surface and a polymeric protective layer arranged on this metal-containing coating, removing the temporary polymeric protective layer and the metal-containing coating only in a predetermined region, applying a ceramic ink in the predetermined region, wherein the removing is carried out with a laser and the polymeric protective layer and the metal-containing coating are intact outside the predetermined region after the removing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2023
    Assignee: SAINT-GOBAIN GLASS FRANCE
    Inventors: Hans-Werner Kuster, Li-Ya Yeh, Sebastian Janzyk
  • Patent number: 11547151
    Abstract: An aerosol-generating device is provided, including an electrical power source; an electrical heater; and a power control circuit connected between the power source and the heater, the circuit including a power measuring unit configured to determine a power supplied to the heater from the power source and to output a power measurement voltage proportional to power supplied to the heater, a voltage comparator connected to the power measuring unit and configured to output a voltage difference signal based on a difference between the power measurement voltage and a reference voltage, and a power regulator connected between the power source and the heater and responsive to the voltage difference signal, the power regulator being configured to adjust a current or a voltage supplied to the heater in order to return the voltage difference signal to within a predetermined range or in order to minimize the voltage difference signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2023
    Assignee: Philip Morris Products S.A.
    Inventor: Jerome Christian Courbat
  • Patent number: 11540555
    Abstract: A smokeless tobacco pastille configured for insertion into the mouth of a user is provided. The smokeless tobacco pastille can include (i) a tobacco material present in an amount of less than about 40 dry weight percent, based on the total dry weight of the pastille; (ii) at least one natural gum binder present in an amount of at least about 25 dry weight percent; and (iii) a plurality of sugar alcohols present in a total amount of at least about 40 dry weight percent, the predominant component of the plurality of sugar alcohols being isomalt or erythritol, wherein the shape of the smokeless tobacco pastille is moldable in the oral cavity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2023
    Assignee: R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company
    Inventors: Jerry Wayne Marshall, Daniel Verdin Cantrell, Serban C. Moldoveanu
  • Patent number: 11533947
    Abstract: A multi-layered tobacco capsule for hookah that includes a container with an upper surface, a lower surface and sidewalls defining an enclosed internal volume. The upper and lower surface includes a plurality of apertures for allowing airflow through the capsule. The container includes one, or more, grids that separate the container to two or more inner compartments. The inner compartments include a quantity of tobacco. The capsule is designed to be positioned onto or inside a cup of the hookah. The capsule may include removable sealing mean that cover the apertures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Inventors: Avichai Nakash, Yaniv Shimon Azrane, Daniel Tolmasov
  • Patent number: 11528943
    Abstract: An aerosol generating apparatus includes a load that generates heat upon receipt of electric power from a power supply and atomizes an aerosol source, an element that is used to acquire a value related to a temperature of the load, a retention unit that retains an aerosol source supplied from a storage to allow the retained aerosol source to be in a feasible state of being heated by the load, and a control unit configured to distinguish between a first state of the aerosol generating apparatus in which the aerosol source stored in the storage is insufficient in quantity, and a second state of the aerosol generating apparatus in which the storage is capable of supplying the aerosol source while the retained aerosol source is insufficient in quantity, on the basis of a change in the value related to the temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2022
    Assignee: JAPAN TOBACCO INC.
    Inventors: Manabu Yamada, Takeshi Akao, Kazuma Mizuguchi, Masayuki Tsuji, Hajime Fujita
  • Patent number: 11524916
    Abstract: A method for producing a coated and printed glass panel, includes a) providing a glass substrate having a metal-containing coating on a first surface and a polymeric protective layer with a thickness d arranged on this metal-containing coating, b) removing the polymeric protective layer in a first region using a carbon dioxide laser, c) removing the metal-containing coating within the first region only in a second region using a solid-state laser such that an edge region is created, in which the metal-containing coating is intact and in which the polymeric protective layer was removed in step b), d) applying a ceramic ink only in the first region, e) heat treating the glass panel at >600° C., wherein the polymeric protective layer is removed on the entire first surface, in the edge region, the metal-containing coating is dissolved by the ceramic ink lying above it, and the ceramic ink is fired.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2022
    Assignee: SAINT-GOBAIN GLASS FRANCE
    Inventors: Hans-Werner Kuster, Sebastian Janzyk, Li-Ya Yeh, Stephane Auvray